Commission for University Education Revokes Recognition of Senator Sakaja’s Degree

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has suffered another setback in his quest to become the next Nairobi governor.

This comes after the Commission for University Education (CUE) on Wednesday revoked the recognition of Sakaja's Bachelor of Science in Management Degree from Uganda’s Team University.

CUE says it has received material information raising questions about the validity of the senator’s academic credentials and has opened an investigation into the legitimacy of the papers he presented before the IEBC for clearance.

“The Commission for University Education has however received material information about the authenticity of the degree you presented from Team University that will require further investigation to ascertain the validity of the said degree certificate,” CUE’s chairperson Chacha Nyaigotti said in a letter addressed to Sakaja.

“Consequently, in accordance to the CUE Recognition Procedures, we hereby revoke the recognition of your degree – Bachelor of Science in Management (External) from the aforementioned university.”

Nyaigotti also sent a copy of the letter to the chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Wafula Chebukati and Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha.

Four complaints have been filed before the IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee seeking to have Sakaja disqualified from the Nairobi gubernatorial race for lacking the requisite academic qualifications.

The complainants are questioning the legitimacy of Sakaja’s Bachelor of Science in Management degree acquired from the Kampala-based university in 2016.

But in a response to the complaint, Sakaja stated that he attended and graduated from Team University which is duly recognized in the Republic of Uganda.

“My qualifications and academic credentials are not in doubt having been affirmed through a lawful process. (Annexed hereto and marked “SJA3” is a letter from the Team University to the National Council for Higher education (NCHE) with reference to verification of my academic documents,” Sakaja said in a replying affidavit.

Sakaja, who is eyeing the Nairobi governorship seat on a UDA party ticket, accused the complainants of deliberately omitting relevant pages of the graduation booklet that contained his name.

“The Complainants’ wild allegations to the effect that I did not graduate from Team University are factually hollow and unfounded. For nefarious goals, the Complainants have fraudulently omitted relevant pages of the graduation booklet that bear my graduation credentials,” he added.